Daniel Scocco of Daily Blog Tips makes an interesting pitch this week on the do's and don'ts of making a website. How to build your own website is still the most popular question I get from family, friends and readers. I recall the time six years ago when a non-techie like me got stuck in the office computer, figuring out the seeming intricacies of Blogspot! It was a decision I will never regret because the world has moved on since then. Truth is, if you really want to have a site, do so now or technology will advance before you know it.

The good news is that it is no longer rocket science to do your own website if you're a business owner or you just want a blog to monitor your daily meanderings.

Of course, you can still do it the ol' Blogspot way, but it's not well-advised if you seriously want to establish your online presence or credibility. Save as much as $500 by doing these first steps:

1. A website has to have a name. Try to make one that or related to you or your business. It must be simple, easy to remember and uncomplicated. It must not use asterisks, hyphens or numbers as much as possible. Who would like to check out a website that sounds like a mathematical equation?

2. Dot com dilemma. If you've already thought of a name, you'd probably want to affix it with a dot com extension. Unfortunately, .com availability is hard to come by. The next thing to consider is a .net, .org or .com.ph, if you're from the Philippines.You can check domain name availability through useful sites like www.whois.net. As much as possible, refrain from taking .us, .info or .biz because these are being used by the spam websites and you don't want to be associated with that.

3. After checking domain name availability, it is now time to buy the domain. Having a credit card or Paypal is advisable, if you're buying through a foreign company online. It is recommended that you buy the domain name from the same company which will host your website. Some of the popular web hosts include dreamhost.com, hostgator.com and hostmonster.com

4. Good web hosting is key. There's no point trying to write content for your site if it's down (or can't be seen by the public) 10 hours a day! Before signing up, Google or investigate reviews and feedback about the hosting company.Don't be tempted by cheap offers.

5. Install WordPress. WP is the content management system of choice by majority of internet users, mostly because it's very user friendly. Once you've enlisted with your web host, they should be able to give you step-by-step instructions on how to keep your site running, mostly by accessing your cpanel.

6. Work your way around your cpanel. From the front page of your cpanel, look for the Software/Services section and click on the Fantastico De Luxe icon. You will be led to the "WordPress" file, and from there you can input your admin data such as username and password. After this, click again on Install WordPress button and you're ready to go. You should be able to see your site live. Tinker with WordPress some more and you'll be able to change your themes and designs. Time and patience is the key. I recommend reading codex.wordpress.org to boost your technical knowledge about WordPress.

Good luck!

(For comments and inquiries, email annalyn.jusay@gmail.com)